Cunderdin

Yesterday we set off for a day trip to Cunderdin to the Agricultural College open day, our youngest son is to go their for years 11 & 12.  It is a residential college that teaches mainstream maths and English & then the students can choose between 3 different pathways, Trade, Agriculture and university.  We had already signed him up for the trade pathway, but after yesterday is now more keen on the ag pathway, he's such an animal lover & he got to see the cows and pigs.  Access was limited to a few pigs of various ages, & we had to wipe our shoes in a disinfectant bath before going near them due to the risk of disease.

While we were there we stopped off at our hangar at the airfield, a plane was parked directly in front of it, so it was lucky we didn't want to get ours out as it wouldn't have been possible.  Apparently the minister for education had been flown up in it to address the school at the open day, (they can park anywhere due to the importance factor!)

Kingair

This old aloe plant (not sure which one it is) is growing next to one of the old world war 2 huts out at the airfield, it looks as though it might have been planted back when the huts were built.  The huts & hangar were built to train pilots for the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) early in world war 2.  Towards the end of the war the airfield was used as a base for heavy bombers in connection with the campaign against the Japanese.

I took a piece to strike amid various scathing remarks from son & husband, "why would you want a piece of that?, its so ugly" and "now we have to share the car with a triffid!"  I think it has its own beauty an with a bit of TLC will be a plant worthy of any garden.

My boys

Im so excited today as I have just heard my eldest son is coming home for a weeks holiday next week, I havent seen him in ages & it will be so good to have my whole family together again ( 4 boys & husband).
The name of my blog comes from my boys growing up on dinotopia, the skybax riders were a huge part of our lives in the 90's through books which inspired hours of imanginary play in the paddocks and around the sheds.  It just seems like yesterday they were all flying around the yard winning a war on the backs of their skybax, it goes so quickly, in the blink of an eye they are adults, thankfully my eldest hasnt lost his imagination & can still lead the others in some quest or another, although now they resort more to a Monte Python holy grail quest rather than a dinotopian one!

Cactus

I have had these two cactus forever, they were purchase some 20 odd years ago as little novelty plants with glasses and hats on. I have replanted them a couple of times, but mainly they have been neglected for long periods of time, rediscovered & nutured for a few years & then lost & forgotten for a few more.

I am making a concerted effort now to be much more considerate & loving towards them, lets see if it makes any difference.  Have no idea of their names.

new little succulents

I have 3 different Haworthia's planted in the one pot, the first two which I think are H Fasciata & H attentuata, I took a couple of plantlets from a house my parents were housesitting, they were very old and overgrown, have been in the pot for 1 year now & done nothing!  Today I purchased a H tesselata to go with them, doesnt look much like its picture, looks very grim & almost dead, hopefully being transplanted it will show some life now.  Apparently they are very slow growers, so will take some time to fill this pot.

I also bought what I think looks like an Agave, which one Im not sure, as the only label it came with was "succulent" which of course is no help at all.
The other two photo's are an echeveria black prince & aeonium chocolate rose, all of these I will grow in pots until we move & then they will find their home in my dry succulent garden.

Spicezee

This is spicezee, my Flemmings interspecific nectarine/plum.
I recieved it free from Flemmings Tree Nursery for being an insider subscriber. It was planted bare rooted in this pot in July 2011, it will stay in the pot until we shift to our country property, where I intend to have an orchard.  Cant wait!